UFCThe Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts organization, recognized as the largest MMA promotion in the world. The UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada and is owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC. This promotion is responsible for solidifying the sport's postion in the history-books.
UFC is currently undergoing a remarkable surge in popularity, along with greater mainstream media coverage. UFC programming can now be seen on FOX, FX, and FUEL TV in the United States, as well as in 35 other countries worldwide.

After a loss to middleweight Nate Marquardt in September at UFC 88, Martin Kampmann will now drop a weight class and make his welterweight debut at UFC 93.

The event takes place Jan. 17 at The 02 in Dublin, Ireland.

With the night's televised, pay-per-view main card already announced, Kampmann will likely fight on the night's preliminary card. And his manager said it'll likely come against a UFC newcomer.

"They haven't (released his opponent)," Ken Pavia of MMAAgents.com told TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "He is fighting in Ireland definitively, though. There's a couple different guys we're tossing around. They'll be new guys to the UFC."

Kampmann (13-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) debuted in the UFC in 2006 and posted four consecutive victories as a middleweight. The streak, which included a 16-month layoff from March 2007 to June 2008 due to a substantial knee injury, pushed his overall win streak to nine straight wins.

After the knee injury, Kampmann defeated Jorge Rivera at UFC 85, but three months later at UFC 88, he suffered an 82-second TKO drubbing to Marquardt.

MMAjunkie.com reported after the fight that Kampmann was considering a move to welterweight, and earlier this week, fiveouncesofpain.com reported that his 170-pound debut would come at UFC 93.

Although Kampmann was never one of the division's bigger middleweights, the drop to welterweight hasn't been an easy one.

"We did a trial cut to 171 (pounds)," Pavia said. "And (Phil) Baroni helped him. He says, 'Kampmann made it.' I said, 'How did he do?' He goes, 'Oh, man. He was a bitch. He was crying. He never cut (weight) before.' I called Kampmann. I go, 'How did the cut go?' He goes, 'Man, I was a bitch. It was terrible.'"

Although his specific opponent is still being determined, Kampmann, who recently signed a UFC contract extension, is expected to meet a UFC newcomer, likely from the local fight scene in Ireland. After all, the 26-year-old Kampmann isn't committed entirely to 170 pounds and instead sees his upcoming fight as a trial run.

"We're going to rebuild him," Pavia said. "We're changing weight classes. It's a weight he's never fought at before, so we don't want him to jump in against a (Josh) Koscheck or (Jon) Fitch. He's not ready for that, quite frankly. It's his first time at 170 . We're going to see how it goes and see how the weight is. And if it goes well, we'll start climbing the ladder again."

This guy just fought a middleweight contender in Marquardt, and he wants to drop to WW and fight a can? He's obviously got some serious Muay Thai skills, and better than average ground. Why not throw him in against a guy like Karo or Diego Sanchez? I guess if he wants to fight cans on the undercard in the WW division he may as well go to affliction, at least he will get paid for getting his ass kicked.

This guy just fought a middleweight contender in Marquardt, and he wants to drop to WW and fight a can? He's obviously got some serious Muay Thai skills, and better than average ground. Why not throw him in against a guy like Karo or Diego Sanchez? I guess if he wants to fight cans on the undercard in the WW division he may as well go to affliction, at least he will get paid for getting his ass kicked.

I'm pretty sure he doesn't get to choose who he fights. You're thinking of BJ.